The other two individuals who received the awards from Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz were Professor Dr Halimaton Hamdan from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia who initiated the study “zeolite and nanostructures”, and the director-general of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (Unescap) Dr Salmah Zakaria.

Besides them, 17 outstanding young women in the field of education from local institutions of higher learning received the Gold Medals 2008.

Rafidah said in a press statement here today that the special awards were introduced to demonstrate appreciation to the women who had raised the status of women’s involvement in education and research. — Bernama